Chapter 14: A Plea for Help
Leaving his home, Uchiha Raizen didn't wander aimlessly. He had a clear destination: the home of Uchiha Oki. His teacher was his only viable recourse. Uchiha Natsume's family held significant influence within the clan; his grandfather was one of the elders. While Uchiha Hakusai's family also had an elder in their ranks, the situation was different now. If he couldn't protect his own family, what kind of man was he?
He arrived quickly.
"Uchiha Raizen, what brings you here?" Uchiha Natsume asked, getting up from where he was resting in the courtyard. He had just finished his evening meal.
"Uchiha Natsume, I need to speak with Master," Uchiha Raizen said, his voice tight.
"Father is at a clan council meeting. He probably won't be back for a while. What's wrong? Is it urgent?" Uchiha Natsume's expression grew concerned as he took in his friend's tense demeanor.
"It is. May I wait for him here?" Uchiha Raizen asked.
"Of course, you can! Don't be a stranger. Come, sit." Uchiha Natsume led him to a stone bench in the garden. Uchiha Natsume's mother brought out two cups of tea, offering a small, comforting smile before retreating inside.
"Uchiha Raizen, if you want to train, you just got back to the village. You can start tomorrow. Improving your strength isn't something that happens in a single day, you know?" Uchiha Natsume said, trying to lighten the mood.
"It's not about training," Uchiha Raizen replied, his voice low. "I've run into a problem. I was hoping Master could offer some guidance."
"Looking at you, it must be serious. Can you tell me? Seeing you like this is making me anxious." Having grown up together, Uchiha Natsume could read the unspoken turmoil in his friend's posture.
"It's about my sister. She's... being betrothed." Uchiha Raizen's hands clenched into fists on his knees.
"Sister Kuna is getting married? That's wonderful news! Why do you look so upset? Even if you'll miss her, you shouldn't be this upset," Uchiha Natsume said, confused.
"I wouldn't be upset if it were a good match. But do you know who she's being forced to marry? That scoundrel, Hakusai!" The anger that surged in Uchiha Raizen was fierce and immediate, surprising even him. This connection, this need to protect, was becoming deeply, undeniably real.
"You mean... Uchiha Hakusai? The eighth elder's grandson?" Uchiha Natsume's eyes widened. The man's reputation was notorious. Now he understood Uchiha Raizen's desperation.
As they spoke, Uchiha Oki returned, his face etched with the gravity of the council meeting. He stopped short when he saw Uchiha Raizen.
"Uchiha Raizen. Good, you're here. I have a question for you," Uchiha Oki said, bypassing any greeting. His tone was direct, his gaze intense. "Your ability to replicate jutsu... can it be stacked infinitely? Is there an upper limit to what you can store?"
Uchiha Raizen's guard went up instantly. "Master, why do you ask?"
"This is a question from the clan elders," Uchiha Oki replied, his voice dropping. "If your stockpile truly has no limit... then the clan intends to activate the God-Slaying Plan."
"The God-Slaying Plan?" Uchiha Raizen echoed, a cold knot forming in his stomach.
"You would be the weapon," Uchiha Oki explained, his tone devoid of enthusiasm, almost weary. "If you can release an unlimited number of high-level ninjutsu, we would give you time to accumulate them. You would become our secret weapon to unify the world."
The grandeur of the statement was undercut by the grim reality it implied. Uchiha Raizen understood immediately. A weapon, once it has served its purpose, is often discarded. If he revealed the true extent of his system's capacity, his fate would be sealed the moment the Uchiha achieved their goals. He needed to hide his true potential.
"No," Uchiha Raizen stated firmly, layering his voice with feigned regret. "There is a limit. I can only store up to twenty jutsu at a time. And when I release them, I can only unleash a maximum of five in a single engagement."
It was a lie, a necessary one. The wise rabbit has three burrows; a bird never reveals all its tricks. To survive, he had to appear valuable, but not invaluable. He had to be a potent tool, but not an existential, uncontainable threat.